Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua paddler positive going into weekend trials

Katee Shanks
By Katee Shanks
Multimedia journalist·Rotorua Daily Post·
18 Jan, 2019 02:30 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Zack Mutton is ready to compete in a borrowed kayak after his custom-made one was stolen last week. Photo / File

Zack Mutton is ready to compete in a borrowed kayak after his custom-made one was stolen last week. Photo / File

Rotorua kayaker Zack Mutton is in "a good headspace" going into this weekend's New Zealand canoe slalom team trials on the Mangahao River near Palmerston North.

A week ago the Olympic hopeful was dealt a devastating blow when his custom-made kayak was stolen from the Okere Falls riverbank.

Zack's mother Amanda said her son had spent the past week training in a kayak lent by a Czech friend, Vit Prindis, who is training in New Zealand during his off-season.

"It was an incredibly kind gesture and one we appreciate very much.

"Zack has been paddling the loaned boat for a week and is focused on the next two weekends of trials.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Nothing can be taken for granted at the trials, there is a strong contingent of up-and-coming paddlers who are vying for a limited number of positions so Zack knows he has to remain positive and give everything he has."

The kayak was stolen last Friday when Zack, having finished training at Okere Falls, left it on the riverbank to go get his car.

The carbon, 3.5m-long black kayak, which retails at roughly $4500, was made for him in the Czech Republic a month ago.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

At the time, Zack told the Rotorua Daily Post the kayak, while priceless to him, would be useless to others.

"This was custom-made for me. Every kayak is cut to the style of the paddler, the weight of the paddler, the personal preference of the paddler."

A $1000 reward has been offered to anybody who can help in the return of the kayak.

Amanda said the family remained hopeful the stolen kayak would turn up but, if not, they would look to replace it in the near future.

Discover more

Sport

$1000 reward for Olympic hopeful's stolen kayak

13 Jan 01:23 AM

Opinion: Thoughtless thieves despicable

15 Jan 09:00 PM

No fresh leads despite reward to find stolen Rotorua kayak

16 Jan 05:08 PM
New Zealand

Olympic hopeful's stolen kayak found in 'perfect condition'

31 Jan 03:26 AM

"One positive to come out of it all is the well-wishes from so many people."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Sport

Rotorua Daily Post

Pene bags season-best performance at mountain biking World Cup

13 Jul 04:37 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

Home-schooled students ride 755km to Parliament for equal sports access

10 Jul 11:07 PM
Sport

Rugby showdown: Local teams gear up for Baywide semis

09 Jul 06:00 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sport

Pene bags season-best performance at mountain biking World Cup

Pene bags season-best performance at mountain biking World Cup

13 Jul 04:37 AM

A Rotorua downhill rider clocks the fastest speed of the round-six final for an 8th place.

Home-schooled students ride 755km to Parliament for equal sports access

Home-schooled students ride 755km to Parliament for equal sports access

10 Jul 11:07 PM
Rugby showdown: Local teams gear up for Baywide semis

Rugby showdown: Local teams gear up for Baywide semis

09 Jul 06:00 AM
Five Steamers players making waves in the Māori All Blacks

Five Steamers players making waves in the Māori All Blacks

03 Jul 10:00 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP